Sunday, February 08, 2009

This past week as I was reading through a bunch of blogs I caught myself thinking, "she's living my dream". And, confession, I allowed myself a few moments of if-only-thinking. I wondered what it would be like to wake up to that -- to be the person on a year long trip around the world, or the mother of darling children or the author who's first novel is just about to hit the shelves. It sounds like a pretty good life. But then the other side of that thought hit me, and it's the reverse side that I'm still thinking about days later.

It's entirely likely that someone, somewhere would look at my life and whisper the same words I did. I have a good life, a great life. I have people who love me and a job I'm good at. I get to live in my favorite part of Canada and even though it's crazy expensive out here I have a place that is within my means and which I love coming home to. I have something to look forward to and memories that make me smile. I have space and freedom and time. I have as Anne Shirley would put it "scope for the imagination".

And here's the thing, whatever your situation is at the moment, the same thinking applies. It is entirely likely that someone, somewhere thinks you are living the dream. Even if right now your dream is screaming her head off and testing the technical limits of the diaper industry, or your world trip has stranded you in a scary train station late at night or your dream job has you at the office late, again. It's a good life. If you're reading this odds are really good that you had supper last night, and breakfast this morning. You, like me, got to sleep in a comfy bed in a dark and quiet room. There are clothes in our closets and dreams in our hearts.

I don't think think there's anything wrong with wishing things were different, or looking forward to what might be coming as long as it's kept within reasonable limits. There's a song by Trace Adkins that sums it up perfectly:

Baby, just slow downYou're gonna miss thisYou're gonna want this backYou're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fastThese are some good timesSo take a good look aroundYou may not know it now But you're gonna miss this